Thief for Hire
by Music2MyEars
Summary: What if the kingdom had given up on ever finding their lost princess? what if a mysterious man who continued to care about the lost girl decided to hire the infamous Flynn Rider to try and save her? Chapter 11 now up! Please Read and Review!
1. Chapter 1

It was night time and he was not used to traveling out of the kingdom let alone by himself and hiding his identity. But he had a very good reason. There had been no progress in the search after all these years and he needed a new plan. He had become desperate.

As he walked through the woods he came to a fork in the road and saw the sign stating: "The Snugly Duckling." The cloaked figure walked into the bar not knowing what to expect. It was dark, musty, and just plain dirty.

"ha the Snugly Duckling" he muttered sarcastically, "what a fitting name." The man had become accustomed to drinking in places one thousand times finer than this and began to wonder if his plan was indeed a good idea. He let the thought slip away and proceeded farther into the room. He walked over to the only empty table and began to wait for the man he needed to hire for the job.

After 10 minutes of waiting he turned to see the door silently creak open. A tall, dark figure stopped in the door way to look around for a moment. He made eye contact with the cloaked man and slowly made his way through the bar to his seat across from his employer.

"Good Evening... Flynn Rider is it?"

"That's what they call me," he said hesitantly, "Now lets cut to the chase. What do i have to do for you and how much are willing to pay me?"

"Now now don't get so impatient on me. I hold more power than you can comprehend and you are truly at my mercy during this job. If you succeed the reward will be immense, now if you fail that is a different story But before i let you in on the job you need some back story."

The man called Flynn Rider sighed with frustration eager to get on his way. "Fine," he stated He then rolled his eyes, crossed his arms, and slouched further down in his chair; getting comfortable for what he thought would probably be a long story.


	2. Chapter 2

"18 years ago a child very dear to my heart was kidnapped. taken away in the middle of the night by a cloaked figure. The kingdom guards searched and searched but they never found the criminal or the child. Recently though, there has been a strange woman coming into the village according to the guards. She comes in the morning looking young and healthy but leaves before sunset looking old and frail. One day while i was in town I heard one guard point her out to another and i caught a glimpse of her. The way the woman looked near the end of the day reminded me of the cloaked figure that stole away with my daughter in the middle of the night. I had her followed to a valley in the forest where there stood a tower. There were two gaurds that follwed her but only one came back because she caught on and killed one while the other barely escaped with his life. he declared her a witch and extremely dangerous and no more guards would be sent to explore the valley or the tower."

Flynn Rider began to stroke his chin and slowly began to speak, "So... What does this have to do with me?"

"Nothing Mr. Rider but it has everything to do with the job I am about to offer you. The guards have stopped searching for good. They believe the girl is gone forever but i have faith. I need you to find the tower and save my daughter."

Rider leaned forward in his seat. "Listen, I'm a thief not a hero. I don't go around saving damsel's in distress. I steal jewels, gold, goods, and on occasion a woman's heart. I'm sorry but i must decline." He began to get up and turn to leave but the cloaked figure had more to say.

"Mr. Rider you will sit down because I have not told you what you will earn if you fullfill the duties i have asked of you."

Rider paused, _what could this guy be offering that is better than offers i have heard before for jobs that i don't want to do, _he thought. Curiosity had gotten the best of him though. He turned back around and sat down. "What do you got for me?"

"Immunity and riches," Flynn perked up a little. "I give you immunity in this kingdom. Guards may arrest you but everytime you will be let go. No matter what you do: steal, kill, you name it you will always go home a free man. Now in other kingdoms i cannot grant you this i have no power over the laws that other kingdoms have set. And of course i will pay you sufficiently. Just think mountains of gold coins at your disposal."

Flynn Rider was practically drooling over this opportunity. "I want the job. Yes, I want this job. I will save the girl." Flynn jumped up ready to go.

"one more thing Mr. Rider. If you fail i will have you hanged for your previous crimes done towards the kingdom. Good Luck."

Flynn Rider got up and turned towards the door but looked back, "Flynn Rider never fails." He then exited the bar ready to save a rich man's daughter.


	3. Chapter 3

The sun was setting and stars were coming out one by one. They were as beautiful as always and as always she wanted to go dance with them as they twinkled into the night sky. She sighed longingly at the thought of leaving the tower. _Life here has become so boring, _she thought, _well if you can call being shut up in a tower for 18 years a life. _Her day dreams were than interrupted but the call of her Mother.

"Rapunzel darling! Let down you haiirr!" said Mother in a sing song voice.

"Coming mother!" Rapunzel called back. She then threw her 70 feet of hair around the silver hook that hung out the window. She let her golden waves tumble down to the ground below so Mother could be pulled up. she tugged and tugged and tugged with all her strength that she used every day to do this one daunting task until Mother was climbing over the window sill.

"Oh thank you Rapunzel darling, but I don't understand why you take so long," she exclaimed, "every day it feels like a slower climb."

"Sorry mother i will try to go faster," Rapunzel said as she looked down and began to pull at her dress. This had become a habit for when Mother insulted her. It was never very often but she had begun to realize her cutting comments more and more lately.

"Anyway flower, how was your day," asked Mother while she unpacked her basket.

"Well nothing much was new. I read a book, exercised, sewed a dress, cleaned the house, i-"

"Oh well that's nice," she said as she cut Rapunzel off, "but it doesn't look much cleaner than when i left... maybe you could work on that tomorrow."

"Well i guess i could try to clean more thoroughly." She went back to playing with her dress again.

"That's good deary now darling why don't you sing for me?"

"Yes mother." This had become a routine thing after Mother got home. Rapunzel would rush around the room turning the chair to angle the stool that she would sit on and get the brush for her mother to use to brush her hair.

She would sing the familiar song that made her hair glow and that pleased her mother so much. She would then be praised for her talent and asked to help in the kitchen.

"Oh thank you sweat heart! Mummy feels so much better now! How about you come help me in the kitchen deary."

"Yes Mother." _Just the same as always_, she thought to herself,_ life has become so boring. _

_XXXXXXXX_

Flynn Rider was on cloud nine as he carefully walked through the streets of Corona picking up supplies for his upcoming travels. He got a new, well paying job and in a few days time he would have immunity for all of his crimes. He started humming as he was heading out of the market place but then he saw two faces he thought were in prison from their last job together. _Ok Rider, _he thought calmly_, think of a plan. You do not want to run into them right now. _Flynn looked around for a close escape route and thought he found it as he spotted an alley to his left.

As he walked down the alleyway he checked behind him and saw no one was following him. He smirked to himself thinking about how good he is at his job and then he saw them blocking the way out of the alley.

"Boyyss! Man it is so Great to see you!" Rider said cheerfully as he tried to edge himself out of the alley and around the blockade made by the Stabbington brothers. "I really wish I could stay, catch up, and talk about how you magnificently escaped prison but if you don't mind I have somewhere to be at the moment." He trailed off as the brother with the eye patch gripped his wrist and pulled him back further into the alley way.

"Now listen here Rider, we heard you got a job from a very wealthy, powerful man."

"I honestly have no idea where you could've heard that from but whoever your informant is really needs to get his facts straight before..." Flynn Rider was cut off by a punch to the gut.

"Shut up Rider." said the brother with the sideburns. "Don't try to lie your way out of this one. The way you threw us under the bus on our last job makes me wonder how much of what you say we can trust. Now tell us what the job is."

Rider, now hunched over in pain, answered in short, breathy replies, "Rescuing-some girl-from a tower."

"Well now that wasn't too hard was it Rider? Who is the employer and what is he paying us?"

"Us!" Another blow to the stomach.

He was now curled on the ground in a ball. "Yes Rider _us_. Now let me repeat the question: Who is the employer and what is he paying _us_."

"I don't know who he is," Rider muttered as he coughed up and spit out blood, "he wore a cloak and never took off the hood but he is offering riches. Lots and Lots of riches."

The brother with the eye patch crouched down to Rider's level and pinned his neck against the brick wall of the alley. "I think there is something your not telling us." There was another punch to his abdomen by the brother with the sideburns. "Spit it out Rider! How much more pain do you want to be in?"

"Immunity! He is offering immunity!" Rider gasped as the brother unpinned his neck and he slouched to the ground. _I am going to have some serious bruises tomorrow_, he thought.

"Good Job Rider, you hit the jack pot for us. We will head out two days from now to find that tower. Meet us at the edge of the forest on the other side of the bridge. If you leave without us we will post-pone our hunt for the girl, come after you, and kill you." They started to walk away but not without one more kick to the gut and a "see you later Rider" called back to him.

_No one takes a job from Flynn Rider, _He thought, _No one._

_**Author's**_** Notes:** Let me know what you think about your first time meeting Rapunzel. Please review and give me tips on how this story could get better or ideas for further writing. _  
_


	4. Chapter 4

She lay awake in bed that night hoping that something would change in her monotonous life. She sighed as she turned over to face the closest thing she had to the outside world which was the window. She looked up into the late night sky and was surprised to see a shooting star. She closed her eyes and silently made a wish. _I wish for an escape from this tower. I love Mother but I feel that there is so much more to this life, so much more that I have yet to see. She may say the world is a horrible place but I want to see for myself. I _wish_ that I could see for myself. _She opened her eyes and turned back onto her back. _Maybe this once, _she thought, _my wish will come true. _Rapunzel then smiled and slowly drifted off to sleep.

XXXXXX

Flynn Rider, practically dragging himself into the bar, was not one to show weakness but it became increasingly hard as the night wore on.

"Well I'll be! Flynn Rider! Where ya been buddy?" Flynn turned to see a large man they called Hook Hand shouting over from a bar stool. "I saw you walk in last night and you didn't even say 'hi'! Whaswithat," the large man said with slurred speech. _Oh great, _Flynn thought to himself, _I am not in the mood for drunken fools tonight. I just need to get myself fixed up._ Flynn then saw Hook Hand sway a little as he tried to get up and pass out on the floor. _Well at least I won't need to worry about him bugging me._

Flynn then began to look for Gunter the only man in the bar who was usually sober. Then he saw him rearranging the furniture in the farthest corner of the room. Rider sighed with relief and began to limp over to the couch where Gunter was fluffing ratty, old pillows.

"Whoah Rider, What happened to you?" Gunter looked genuinely surprised since it was not everyday that Flynn Rider looked like he had been beat up in an alley.

"The Stabbington Brothers happened," Flynn muttered, "they caught me in an alley and needed some uh, job information out of me that I didn't really feel like giving."

Gunter shook his head, "I'll get some ice and a glass of water while you just lie down on the couch and get some rest." Flynn didn't argue at this command because he was exhausted and in pain. He set his head down on the ratty but soft pillow and fell into a deep sleep almost immediatly.

XXXXXXX

The sun rose slowly and kissed her face gently with warmth through the window. That was her sign to get up. She stretched slowly, slipped on a fresh dress and made her way down the stairs to see Mother preparing to leave.

"Oh Good Rapunzel, you're up. I was going to come wake you so that I could remind you that I am leaving for a long three day journey to one of the neighboring kingdoms."

"Oh thank you Mother for reminding me, I almost forgot. Is there anything you need me to take care of while you are gone?"

"Well darling, like we discussed yesterday I want the tower to be spotless when I return. You have three days to take care of that which should be sufficient. Other than that though, I have no chores for you."

Mother walked over to Rapunzel and planted a kiss on her forehead, "I love you sweet flower, goodbye." Mother started to walk towards the window while Rapunzel let her hair fall to the green land below. Then she remembered her wish from the night before. Maybe this was her chance and Feeling the soft breeze and the warm sun on her skin was not helping with the temptation.

"Mother, wait! I have a question." _Oh no! What now? I should just back down and let her go. Yup that is exactly what I am going to do,_ she thought.

"And just what might that be Rapunzel," Mother asked cautiously as though she knew what was coming next.

"Well I thought I would remind you my birthday is coming in three days and well I thought maybe I could leave the tower with you." She covered her mouth realizing that she had just asked the forbidden question. She then pulled her hands away as Mother began to laugh.

"Hahahahaha! Rapunzel you must be joking!"

"No Mother, I'm not," stated Rapunzel quietly.

Mother then got very serious. "Rapunzel we have discussed this. You are never to leave this tower because the world-

"Because the world is a danger place, I know that but Mother, I will be with you! Can't you make an exception just this once," pleaded Rapunzel, "Please, for my birthday?"

"Rapunzel I will pick you up something nice in the village market place but I am not taking you out of this tower." She turned to leave.

"Mother please-"

"NO RAPUNZEL!" Mother's face got dark as she got nearer to Rapunzel, "Get this straight. You are never, EVER leaving this tower! Do you hear me?" Mother's chest was heaving with anger.

Rapunzel had tears welling in her eyes as she whispered in response, "yes Mother."

"I hate to leave you so soon after a fight but I must be going." With that said Mother was lowered out of the tower and Rapunzel was left alone to continue watching out the window.

**Author's Note:** So I kind of don't know how I feel about this chapter... I sort of got writer's block and I cannot tell if my ideas are too all over the place or not. Please let me know with a review because they really encourage me to keep writing when you let me know that you want more. :D


	5. Chapter 5

"Wake up Sleeping Beauty!" He heard someone shout from the bar as he drifted in and out of sleep. He slowly opened his eyes so he could adjust to his surroundings. Flynn Rider gradually sat up on the couch as he rubbed the temples of his forehead.

"Hey Rider, how 'ya feeling?" Rider looked to his left to see Gunter seated in a beat up armchair.

"How long have I been out," He groaned as he tried to recall why his head would be hurting.

"About a day and a half," answered Gunter, "you look like you could use something to eat and drink. I'll go get Attila to whip something up for you."

"Thanks Gunter." Rider then shut his eyes and slouched back down on the couch. His relaxation was interrupted by the flooding in of memories from the alley. He remembered being pinned against the wall which must have been where he hit his head but the detail he remembered most of all was that he had to meet the Stabbington Brothers today. "Oh Crap!" He jumped off the couch and started searching for his personal items.

"Rider what's wrong," asked Hook Hand as he plopped into the armchair that Gunter had just left.

"I have to meet the Stabbington Brothers today for a job and I cannot be late," he replied as he quickly pulled on his boots and slipped his satchel onto his shoulder.

"In that case good luck."

"I'll need it. Oh! Tell Gunter thanks for helping me," Rider shouted over his shoulder as he ran out the door and slammed it shut behind him.

XXXXXXX

"We might finally get our revenge on Rider sooner than we thought," said the brother with the eye patch.

"Don't we need him to get the reward after we bring the girl back," asked the brother with the side burns.

"Nah. All we have to do is say he died in a fight with the witch. We can then say we killed her to save the girl and then use her as ransom for more money. I mean if someone has the power to give us immunity the girl is obviously from a rich famil-" Eye patch was cut off as they turned to hear someone stumbling loudly through the woods. Flynn Rider then jumped out into the clearing by the bridge.

"Good Afternoon boys," he huffed smoothly as he wiped dirt and leaves off of his clothes, "no need to come up with a plan to kill me just yet." Rider then gave them his most charming smile. "So shall we get going or what? This girl is not going to save herself." He then walked confidently into the woods even though he had just barely escaped a death wish. Behind him the two brothers looked at each other and followed Flynn Rider deeper into the woods.

XXXXXXX

Even though it was over a day after their fight Rapunzel continued to sob on her already tear stained pillow.

"Mother must hate me," she sobbed out loud, "she didn't even say 'I love you'!" The tears then began to fall harder.

The only time they had ever fought like this before was back when Rapunzel was 13. She had gotten to the age where she was beginning to get curious about the outside world and she had asked to leave the tower for the first time. Rapunzel was becoming lonely and wanted to leave so that she may find a friend other than Mother. Mother exploded on her in an instant. She was furious and screamed her lungs out to Rapunzel about ruffians, thugs, pointy teeth, and all the other evil things of the world. Rapunzel at this age had not yet learned her lesson about talking back to Mother and held her own by fiercely arguing back. Then it happened, the moment that made Rapunzel quiet and respectful of her Mother. Mother slapped her across the face. Rapunzel was shut up quickly by the stinging of the skin on her cheek. She silently apologized and went to her room and never argued with Mother again except for the fight the other day.

Just thinking about the argument from years ago made her cry harder until she heard the noise from outside which made her go completely silent. She heard a voice and a clinking metal sound. _No, _she thought, _there are more than just one voice. _ And they were not voices like hers or mothers. They were the voices of men. Before she knew it she heard the voices in her tower speaking quietly about finding a girl. Rapunzel became panicked and hid under her bed hoping and praying they would leave as quickly as they had come.

The moment continued to get worst though when she heard heavy footsteps slowly walking up the creaky stairs. Her heart was racing faster and faster as the footsteps reached her room. Rapunzel held her breath as her heart was about to pound out of her chest. The only thought that crossed her mind was that they could surely hear the _thump thump _of her heart. The rest all happened so quickly. Two hands grabbed her ankles and pulled her out from under the bed as she screamed at the top of her lungs. Before being thrown into a brown sack she made eye contact with the most beautiful brown eyes she had ever seen and then her world went dark.

**Author's Note: **Well I didn't get any reviews for my last chapter which made me reconsider updating but I decided against it because I like the direction I am taking with this story and I want to see where it goes. Anyway I would LOVE to hear from you all about what you think and if there is anyone who actually likes the story so far. I will continue to update as quickly as I can and please keep reading!


	6. Chapter 6

The three men grunted loudly as they climbed up the side of the tower quickly and tumbled through the window. They began to whisper lowly.

"I don't see any old lady," said the brother with the eye patch.

"Or the girl," said Rider as he glanced to the upper level of the tower, "let's go check out upstairs first." He led the way up the staircase as the Stabbington Brothers followed right behind him. As they made it to the doorway of the only room at the top of the stairs the brother with the side burns put his finger to his mouth as if to signal them all to be silent and then he pointed under the bed. Rider glanced down and was able to see two tiny feet. Before he could say anything the two brothers pushed passed him and grabbed the girl from underneath the bed by her ankles. As she was being shoved into the sack he made eye contact with the most beautiful, big green eyes he had ever seen. The Stabbingtons were struggling with the girl as she kicked and screamed in the sack with a whole lot of hair sticking out from the top.

"What is with all of this hair," exclaimed Eye patch, "We will never be able to fit it all in the bag with her!"

"How about we just cut it off?" Side Burns pulled out a knife and was preparing to cut the s

"NO, PLEASE, NO!" The girl in the bag was shrieking at the top of her lungs as she began to kick harder. The emotions were running high in the room and Flynn Rider was getting annoyed with how the brothers were handling the situation. The three of them were supposed to be rescuing the girl but she was stuffed into a potato sack and for once in his life he began to thinkfor someone other than himself.

"Hey, do not cut the hair," he said surprised by how protective he was sounding over a girl he had never met before. "Just put the knife down and let's get out of here before the old lady comes back. I mean for all we know she could show up at anytime." At the mention of this the Stabbingtons looked at each other and nodded.

"Good point Rider. I knew we kept you around for some reason. We can cut the hair later so let's just get out of here and find some where to make camp for the night." With that said the three of them made their way out of the room and dragged the blonde haired, green eyed girl in the sack down the stairs and out of the tower.

XXXXXXXXX

"NO, PLEASE, NO!" The only three words that Rapunzel could think of as her hair was threatened of being cut off. Did her captors know of the powers her golden locks withheld? Did they know if her hair was cut it would shrivel up and die? Did they know- her thoughts were cut short as a smooth but powerful voice began to speak.

"Hey, do not cut the hair." The words were music to her ears and she found herself hoping they came from the man with the beautiful brown eyes. Here thoughts were cut short again as she heard something about an old lady coming back to the tower. _Old lady? Are they talking about Mother,_ she wondered, _but Mother isn't old. She has been young for as long as I can remember..._ Her mind continued to wonder but before she knew it she was being dragged out of the current room she was in and, to her fright, out of the tower. As this fact was made known she continued to kick with everything she had in her.

**Author's Notes:** So they are almost officially out of the tower! What do you think so far? Is this story going at an okay pace for you? I am thinking that Rapunzel and Flynn will be OFFICIALLY meeting either in the next chapter or the one after that. I hope you are enjoying the story so far. If you are let me know by reviewing. I don't really care if you are an anonymous reviewer or not i just love reading other people's thoughts about my writing. And even if you aren't enjoying the story so far let me know by reviewing as well and let me know what I can do differently. I love constructive criticism.


	7. Chapter 7

"Well fellas, this looks like a fantastic place to camp for the night," Rider stated as they came to a clearing in the forest. "We can go gather wood for the fire and someone can go get water for dinner tonight."

The brothers glanced at each other then looked back at Flynn. "Why don't you go do that and we can wait here with the girl."

"Fine but speaking of which, why don't you guys let her out of the sack while I go do the chores. I mean we don't want her telling our boss about how she's been treated."

"We also don't want her getting away," said the brother with the side burns.

"Yeah! Who made you the boss anyway?" The brother with the eye patch moved closer to Rider.

Rider then instinctively moved backwards to keep a smart distance between him and two armed brothers. "I am the one who got us the job."

The brothers moved forward again. "Yes, but there are two of us and one of you. We could take you out at any moment."

Flynn stepped back again. "Hey now, I don't want to start anything but I just think that keeping the boss' precious cargo comfortable is a smart idea."

Without another word on the matter the brothers untied the sack and dumped the girl out onto the grass with hair tumbling out all around her. Flynn glanced back to make sure they did as he said as he walked off into the forest to get the supplies for the night.

XXXXXX

"EEEP!" Rapunzel squealed as she was tossed out of the dark sack and into the grass. She had fallen asleep after getting a headache from being bumped in the head one too many times but was startled awake now. She was in a panic as she saw two unfamiliar faces standing above her. She scrambled backwards until her back hit a log and she could get no farther away from her captors.

"Well, well, well. Look what we have here brother," said Side Burns lustfully, "Aren't you a pretty young lady."

"We could have a lot of fun with you," stated the brother with the eye patch

"What do you want with me," she asked with a shaky voice, "Is it my hair?"

"Now what would we want with your hair?" The man with the eye patch asked this as he caressed a piece of her golden locks between his fingers.

"I-I... Nevermind. My hair is-is nothing special." Rapunzel was surprised that she had not been kidnapped for her hair. _Why did they take me then,_ she asked herself.

"Well, putting that matter aside," said the man with the side burns as he tilted Rapunzel's chin upwards to look into her big, green eyes, "What's your name beautiful?"

"Uhm, my name is-" she was cut off by another's voice.

"Hey! Get your hands off her Stabbingtons. This is not a part of the job." Rapunzel turned to look and saw that it was the man with the brown eyes speaking. Just seeing him come closer made her feel safer as the man holding her chin removed his hand.

As the men moved closer together the man with the brown eyes dropped a bundle of wood that he had been carrying.

"Who are you to suggest to us what we can and cannot do, Rider?" The two mean looking men were now face to face with the brown-eyed man.

"I am not trying to _suggest _anything. I am telling you that you will not touch the girl for the duration of the journey. Got it? I have to go get the water now so the girl is coming with me." The third man looked over at Rapunzel. "Blondie get up, you are coming with me."

"Hey just wait a second," said the man with the eye patch as he pulled out a knife, "Who says you aren't going to try anything with the girl? I mean you are the infamous heart breaker Flynn Rider, Aren't you?" The man with the knife moved closer to Flynn Rider.

"Blondie, get over here..." said Flynn Rider cautiously as he kept an eye on the knife. Understanding the seriousness of the situation, Rapunzel moved quickly but hesitantly over to where the men stood.

"Good," he said as she got close enough. Then in one swift motion Flynn grabbed her hand and yelled, "RUN!" At the same time the man holding the knife lashed out to the closest thing in front of him which just so happened to be the side of Rapunzel's lower abdomen.

"EEEEEEEP!" She squealed as blood began to quickly stain the side of her dress but she kept running while grasping tightly onto the hand of her captor.

**Author's Notes:** So what did YOU think about this chapter? I hope you enjoyed the intensity of it. Is anyone really enjoying how the story is panning out? Am I super predictable or are you in suspense? Let me know with a review. Like i said before i really don't care if you are anonymous or not or if the review is positive or negative i just want to know what people think. I enjoy constructive criticism. Thank you for Reading! :)


	8. Chapter 8

They had been running for what seemed like hours but Rapunzel knew it had only been minutes. The adrenaline was pumping through both of their veins as they tried to get away from the Stabbington Brothers. After running for a while longer Rapunzel began to feel faint from the loss of blood but she knew she needed to keep going because her life depended on it but the only thing keeping her on her feet was the strong hand that was crushing her own tiny one. They stumbled deeper into the forest until Rapunzel finally need to stop because her hair had gotten tangled in a log. She lost her grip on Flynn's hand and fell to the ground.

"Help," she gasped, "Please, Help me!" Flynn turned around to see Rapunzel in a heap of hair and tears. He rushed to her aid and began to help her up when his hand grazed something warm and wet on the side of her dress.

"Oh crap," he muttered, "Okay, okay, just sit back down. We need to fix this and fast." Without another thought he took off his shirt to create a bandage around Rapunzel's injury that was causing blood to pool on the ground. Rapunzel was beginning to slip in and out of consciousness as she continued to lose blood.

"Hey, Blondie, you have to stay with me. Okay? You have to stay awake. I am going to wrap my shirt tightly around your waist so I can try to stop the bleeding. It may be uncomfortable but we have to do this quick." He sat her up straighter so he could position the cloth just right and then began to wrap tightly but quickly. He finished the make-shift bandage with a sloppy knot and picked up Rapunzel into his arms.

"Come on Blondie, stay with me. I am gonna carry you the rest of the way to the river. Then, we are going to cross and we can stop for the night. Okay?" There was no response from the girl. "Hey! If you can hear me nod your head. Come on Blondie, please stay with me." He began to walk as fast as he could while carrying a bleeding girl and 70 feet of hair but stopped briefly when he felt a head nod against his chest. He glanced down and saw her eyes flutter open and the shut again. _Okay, _he thought, _The girl is alive for now but I have to hurry. _ Again he was confused that he, Flynn Rider, was being so compassionate to a stranger. Maybe it was the fact that she was too young to die or the fact that he thought she was beautiful but he could not let this girl slip away. He would not let this girl slip away.

XXXXX

"Rappppunnnzell! Let down you hair to Mummy!" Mother Gothel stood beneath the tower window waiting for those golden waves to fall down so that she may climb up.

"Rapunzel? Rapunzel!" Still no response. Mother Gothel was in a panic now and ran around to the side of the tower. She muttered a few words and the wall of rocks disappeared to reveal a staircase that would take her to the main room of the tower. She made her way quickly up the stairs and stopped only when she needed to lift up the plank of wood that disguised the secret passage way. She pushed up as hard as her feeble, quickly aging body would allow until it was moved out of place and she could pull herself inside. She glanced around the room seeing no sign of Rapunzel. In fact, the tower looked exactly like it had when she left three days earlier.

"Rapunzel? Rapunzel are you here?" She was flustered and panicked as there was no response just silence. Rapunzel was gone and Mother Gothel needed to get her back if she ever wanted to be young again.

XXXXXX

Rapunzel was nodding in and out of darkness. She was aware of two strong arms carrying her through the woods and the bare, muscular chest that she rested her head on but the thing she was most aware of was the heartbeat. It was fast and strong but calming. That heartbeat was the only thing keeping her going. The irony of someone else's heartbeat keeping her own heart beating was the one of two thoughts that continuously crossed her mind. The other being that they needed to stop soon so that she could heal herself. She periodically heard the man muttering reassuring words to her but she wondered if they were more for him.

"Blondie, you will be okay," was the most common phrase that he continued to use. _Blondie must be a nickname he gave me,_ she thought. Her thoughts were then interrupted by the splashing of water as the pair crossed the river. The man walked a little further into a grove of trees and then set her body down and leaned over her.

"Blondie? Can you hear me," He asked as he grabbed Rapunzel's wrist to check for a pulse. He looked up as she began to stir and she whispered something that he could not hear. "What did you say?" He moved closer to her face so he could hear. As he got closer Flynn noticed every aspect of her young face; the soft look of her lips and skin and the beauty of her big green eyes.

"Wrap my hair- around the wound." The request was soft but urgent. As confused as he was Flynn did as he was told. He carefully sat her limp body up straight and wrapped her hair losely around her waist along with his blood stained shirt. After he was finished, Flynn set her body gently back to the ground. She then began to sing quietly.

_"Flower gleam and glow, Let your power shine..." _

Flynn Rider was then shocked to see her hair begin to glow.


	9. Chapter 9

**Author's Notes:** Hey readers, Sorry for the not so speedy update :/ I had some stuff going on this past week and so i did not have to time to work on my story. I hope you will enjoy this chapter and please review! :D

She glanced at the man's face as she sang her healing song and saw that he was in total shock as her hair began to fade back to it's normal blonde color. She stood up and unraveled her hair from around her waist to see that the blood had disappeared from the dress and there was no pain. She looked back to her travel companion or kidnapper or whatever he was to see his face was still in shock almost like he was ready to scream.

"Now, I know this is a lot to take in but please, please, _Please_ don't freak out." There was no response from the man whose face was frozen in fear. "Excuse me, can you hear me...?" Rapunzel reached out to poke him but he then scrambled backwards.

"Don't touch me! Stay away!" Flynn Rider then wished he could take back his words when he saw the girl's face fall in sadness.

"I'm sorry" she whispered, "I just wanted to make sure you were okay."

"Look, Blondie, I'm sorry I didn't m-" he was cut off by her tiny voice speaking.

"My name is Rapunzel."

"Oh. Look, _Rapunzel,_ I didn't mean to hurt your feelings, I was just really _Really_ shocked to see your, uh, hair... glow."

"I know. My power _is _kind of a shocker isn't it?" She graced Flynn Rider with a soft smile as she sat back down facing him. "So... What's your name?"

"The name is Flynn Rider. You may have seen my Wanted Posters around the village." Flynn stated proudly as he stuck out his hand for her to shake.

Rapunzel stared back, clueless of what he was talking about and why he was sticking out his hand to her. "What's a wanted poster?"

"Have you never been out of that tower, Blondie?" Flynn Rider still had his hand extended patiently waiting for her to shake it.

"No," she replied in a frustrated tone, "and why do you keep calling me Blondie? Oh, and what is with the hand?"

"It's a nickname. You know, something I call you besides your real name. You have blonde hair so I thought 'why not call her Blondie'. The hand is for you to shake. It's an introduction."

"Oh! I get it now! I kind of like the name." She smiled sweetly only now realizing that every part of the man sitting before her was extremely attractive. Rapunzel's stomach began to flutter; a feeling she had never felt before. She then took his hand and shook it gently. They both let their hands linger a little longer then intended until Flynn hurriedly took his away.

"You know, we should probably start a fire and find something to eat so we can go to bed early and get an early start tomorrow so the Stabbington's don't catch up to us."

"That sounds like a good idea..." she trailed off as she remembered the danger the two of them were in.

"I will go get some wood and be back in a few minutes." Without out another word Flynn Rider disappeared into the forest.

XXXXXXXXX

"Curse that Rider!" Shouted the brother with the eye patch. "He stole that girl from under our noses and now he is gonna get the reward all to himself!" He turned to a tree to his left and kicked it while swearing under his breath.

"Where do you think they are headed? They ran farther into the forest and off the path." There was no response from Eye Patch. "Sooooo aren't they going to take longer to get the kingdom?"

Eye Patch paused mid kick and turned to his brother, "You make a fantastic point brother! The two are going to have to find a way back to the path which will take about a day. Then traveling to the Kingdom from there will take about another two. That gives us to for us to cut them off at the bridge before the kingdom. When we catch 'em we will kill Flynn Rider and take the girl for our reward."

XXXXXXXXXX

Mother Gothel packed her bag in a furious, frantic, rage. Throwing unnecessary items across the room, shattering things against the walls, and putting the necessaries in her bag. Gothel was furious that Rapunzel had left the tower. Rapunzel had betrayed her wishes and escaped. Within the fury though, there was worry. Gothel only had so long before the magic would wear off and she would turn to dust. She had to find Rapunzel fast or there was no hope.

XXXXXXXXX

Tears streamed down her face as darkness quickly fell in around her. She had never been out of the tower which means she had never been in the woods at night, in the dark. The only question running through her mind was 'Where is Flynn'? The sun disappeared and the only light was the moon which continued to disappear as clouds passed in front of it.

As she peered through the trees she saw a large, bulky figure crashing through the trees and coming towards her. Rapunzel sobbed harder and screamed as she turned to run away towards the river. She thought she heard a voice call her name as she splashed through the water but Rapunzel knew that thing, that _creature _behind her, was in no way Flynn Rider. It had been bulky and noisy as it crashed through the woods. Flynn seemed like the total opposite to her. He was thin and built perfectly. He also seemed like a quiet walker who wouldn't crash through a forest at night.

As she splashed farther into the river two arms grabbed her from behind. She kicked and screamed and sobbed from the fear of being taken away again when she had just begun to make friends with Flynn Rider.

"Rapunzel! Rapunzel, hey! Calm down." She knew that voice. It was Flynn. Rapunzel turned into his strong arms and let herself shake from her sobs.

"Blondie," Flynn said more gently, "Hey, Blondie, shhh, shhh, it's okay. Everything is gonna be okay." Flynn was shocked as he realized he cared for this girl that he had just met. _What's happening to me,_ he thought, _since when do I care about people? _Flynn Rider wanted to take care of this girl, keep her safe, and never let anything happen to her. Flynn held her tighter and let her cry as he rubbed a comforting hand over her head. _Where is all this coming from? _

"I won't let anything happen to you," he whispered into her hair. Rapunzel then looked up with her big, green eyes with tears streaming down her cheeks.

"Do you promise?" she asked shakily.

Flynn took his hand and wiped the tears from her face, "I Promise." _What is happening to me. Since when do _I, _Flynn Rider, make promises? _


	10. Chapter 10

**Author's Notes:** I think you will all be pleasantly pleased with this chapter. The friendship seems as though it may finally be starting and I hope you will review and give me your thoughts on how I am doing so far. It is definitely hard to keep writing when there is no encouragement from readers so even if you are an anonymous reviewer please, please, PLEASE let me know what you are thinking about the story. Now go enjoy chapter 10!

Rapunzel had stopped crying long ago as she sat by the fire Flynn had made. Once the bright orange light had filled the forest she became much less afraid of the unknown. Flynn was sitting with his chin rested on top of his knees across from Rapunzel. He was extremely puzzled by this girl. He watched her expressions that she made as she watched the flames dance through the wood. This girl was so amazed by the simplest things; it just didn't make any sense! Flynn was pulled from his thoughts as Rapunzel stood up and walked over to sit by him.

"You seem... troubled, Flynn." _Wow,_he thought,_ this girl barely knows me and she can already read me like a book._

"I'm not troubled I'm just deep in thought."

"Are they _troubling _thoughts?"

Flynn let out a laugh, "Uhm, yeah maybe they are Blondie but I need to sort them out before I talk about them."

"You could sort them out while you talk..." This girl would not stop but Flynn did think it was kind of cute that she cared.

"Well they _are_ about you so it wouldn't hurt if we talked about it." Rapunzel leaned in as if to tell him she was ready to listen to anything he had to say. "To be honest, I'm confused about the whole 'being locked in a tower all your life' thing."

Rapunzel closed her eyes in thought, "I was afraid you would say something about that."

"So are you gonna tell me about it or not?" Now it was Flynn's turn to push for answers.

"How do I know I can trust you?"

"Come on Blondie, I basically saved your life."

"Yes, but you were the one who put me in danger by kidnapping me in the first place."

"Well, technically it was NOT kidnapping seeing that we were hired to _save _you." Flynn then realized it was not exactly the best time to bring that part of the story up. Rapunzel's eyes got bigger than they already were and very angry looking.

"Excuse me?"

Flynn sighed seeing no way out of the hole he dug for himself. "A man hired me to climb your tower and rescue you. I think-I think it was your... father." He said the last part as gently as he could because he knew deep inside himself that she had never known a father figure in her life.

"What? That's not possible. My father ran away when I was born because he thought my powers were... freakish. At least, that's what Mother told me." Rapunzel then stood up to pace with her face scrunched up in confusion.

"That's another thing I've begun to question, Rapunzel. How do you know that woman is your mother?"

Rapunzel turned on him with rage flooding her face. "That _woman_ has been in my memories since before I can remember." Rapunzel's face fell into thought and confusion again as she continued pacing. "I have had some thoughts recently about her not being my real mother though."

"And why is that?"

"She doesn't look anything like me." Rapunzel sat down by Flynn again as another truth hit her. "She also never seemed to truely care about me."

"Why do you think she doesn't care about you."

"Because she only seemed to care about the safety of my hair. Since I was a little girl Mother would always tell me the world wasn't safe because there were people who would think my hair was valuable and would take advantage of me just for my powers. There was this one time a long time ago when I asked if we could cut my hair because I was at that awkward stage when I was tripping over EVERYTHING and it just got in the way. Mother turned on me and said my hair would lose its power if we cut it." Rapunzel placed her head in her hands as she made a realization that changed everything. "I'm so stupid," she muttered.

Flynn sat in silence as he felt anger boil up inside him. _That woman who said she 'loved' Rapunzel was just using her for her hair? That is so low! If I could get my hands on her I'd, I'd-_

"Flynn? Are you okay? You look... angry this time."

"That's because I _am_ angry!" He stood up to get his point across. "That woman made you believe she cared about you when all she wanted was your hair! She manipulated you and ruined your life for her benefit not once thinking about how it would effect you! She-" Flynn stopped speaking as Rapunzel gently placed a hand on his should and made him face her.

"Flynn, Thank you."

Flynn was again confused. "For what?"

"For caring about me more than my hair. Right here in this moment you have proved to me that She was wrong about the world. Not everyone is bad or manipulative. She described to me the world that she had known but that was becaue of who she was. She _was _bad and manipulative which reflected what kind of world she had known her whole life. Though, that does not justify her actions towards me it proves that I was right about me needing to discover the world for myself."

Flynn was at a loss for words at this young woman's courage and wisdom. He searched deep inside himself and realized that though he was 24 this 18 year old girl still had more wisdom than he did.

"Your welcome." He gave her a small smile. "We should probably be getting to bed. We want to get an early start tomorrow."

"Okay. Good night Flynn." She then carefully lay down on the floor and closed her eyes.

"Good night." Flynn then walked over to his own spot and lay down but kept his eyes open in thought. Without even realizing what he was saying words spilled from his mouth. "Rapunzel, my real name is Eugene Fitzherbert." _Crap, _he thought, _what is this girl doing to me? _ "I was an orphan." Flynn or Eugene or whoever he was now heard rustling and within seconds saw Rapunzel lay down beside him.

"Why'd you change your name to Flynn Rider?"

"It was the name of the main character in my favorite kid's book at the orphanage. Flynn Rider was everything I told myself I wanted to be when I got adopted by a family. He had money, people who cared about him, and he was not bad with the ladies. I never got adopted and so I decided to make my 'dream' come true by becoming a thief. I may have gotten money out of it and occasional girl friends but none of them ever cared about me they cared about what I had to offer them. I guess that's why I got so mad about your mother or whatever she is, using you like she did." He watched Rapunzel's reaction. She rolled onto her back and thought for a second. Then she propped herself back up onto her elbow and leaned over to kiss him on the cheek.

"I care about you Eugene Fitzherbert. From this moment on I always will." Rapunzel then stood up and walked back to her previous sleeping area. "Good night Eugene."

"Good night, Blondie." He smiled to himself as he closed his eyes and fell asleep.


	11. Chapter 11

**Author's Notes:** I am SO SO SO SO SO SO SO sorry that I took FOREVER to update! I hope I haven't lost too many readers! *grimaces at the thought* I haven't really had too much motivation because after the last chapter I didn't have any idea where I wanted to go with it but now I have my ideas in order and should be able to update quickly from now on! I PROMISE! Thank you all for the wonderful positive reviews and alerts/favorites. Like I always say I don't care if your anonymous or not your opinions are still important to me so please review! Now please enjoy Chapter 11!

Eugene woke up to an eerie noise above him. The fire he had build earlier in the night had long ago dimmed to glowing embers. He glanced across to Rapunzel to make sure she was still asleep and all right. Rapunzel slept silently on the grass and using her arms for a pillow. She must have been cold, he thought as he noticed that she had her hair wrapped around her up to her neck. He smiled slightly at the fact that even while she slept she glowed with beauty and liveliness but then remembered the situation at hand. Eugene looked back up to where the noise came from. He stood up to get a closer look at the dark tree branches above him. Within the rustling leaves and dark branches there sat a large black bird with eerie green eyes. He felt the eyes glare deep past his soul and pierce the very core of his being. The large bird then flew away out of view without making a sound as though to keep the young woman across from him asleep. A moment of fear swept over him when he then remembered the creature was only a bird but the eyes that rested inside the bird seemed so... human.

XXXXXXXXXXX

Mother Gothel landed softly in a clearing about a mile away from Rapunzel's campsite. She morphed back into her human form and began to pace. The situation wouldn't be too hard to handle. The young man was only human and he deserved whatever punishment she gave him. After all he was a wanted criminal and after this little "adventure" of Rapunzel's she would be chained up as a prisoner from now on once she was back in Gothel's grasp.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

Rapunzel's colorful dreams were interrupted by the even more beautiful rising sun. Her eyes fluttered open to see the campfire completely burned out and Eugene Fitzherbert sitting with his back to her glancing up at the tree branches above him.

"Good morning, Eugene." She stifled a giggle as he jumped in surprise to hearing her voice. He then turned to give her a handsome smile.

"You know Blondie, You can still call me Flynn."

"I don't want to." Rapunzel walked around a little bit to stretch her legs.

"And why is that?"

"Because I like Eugene Fitzherbert better than Flynn Rider." She stated this fact plainly as she stretched her arms to the sky. Eugene was surprised at this but tried not to show it.

"You would be the first," he muttered.

"What was that, _Eugene_?"

"Oh nothing, I was just wondering if you were ready for me to go fetch breakfast for the two of us."

"Oh! That would be fantastic!" She smiled and continued to hop around and inspect the plants at the edge of the forrest.

"Do you want to come with me? I have to go into the woods to find something."

"Sure!" Eugene smiled at her excitement to do something so simple as find breakfast.

The two of them walked into the woods casually making small talk as Eugene gather berries that he knew to be safe to eat and Rapunzel gathered small pieces of wood for a fire to boil their water. As Rapunzel moved on from where Eugene was gathering berries and she gathering more sticks her hair got caught on a log she had not noticed.

"Ow, ow ,ow ,ow! Eugene help!" Eugene turned quickly and ran to her aid not watching his step and got his feet tangled in her already tangled hair. He fell to the ground as she turned to try to help with the mishap.

"No move your feet here..."

"Wait move your hand..."

"If I can just get this knot out..." Rapunzel worked on a knot that had her hair so connected to the log. Eugene had given up and watched her work. Everything she did intrigued him and it caused an battle to wage inside him. She was so innocent and naive while he was well... not. She could never love him and even if she did he would never be good enough for her.

"Got it!" Rapunzel's excitement drew Eugene out of his thoughts and he looked up into her eyes. As he stared at her he saw every emotion running through her mind; it was as if he stared right into her very soul. He saw joy at finally getting that stupid knot undone, confusion at why he stared at her, happiness, love... the mixture was endless as he reached up and touched her cheek.

"Rapunzel, I..." He drew closer as he narrowed the space between their faces. He felt her breathing quicken and the temperature in her face rise.

"You said my real name," Rapunzel spoke quietly.

He smirked, "Yeah, I guess I did." They were so close to closing the gap completely when a large black bird screeched from overhead. Rapunzel jumped back quicker than he had ever seen anyone move. Eugene shuffled quickly to his feet and saw the large black bird from the night before. A shiver ran through his spine as he looked at Rapunzel. Her face was as red as a tomato. "Sorry, Blondie. I shouldn't have done that." He grumbled.

"It's okay," she said as she played with her hair.

"No it's not," Eugene said frustrated, "you are an assignment and that's all. I'm not going to lead you on." He was able to see the hurt in her eyes but he shrugged the guilty feeling away. _I am not getting attached, _he thought, _she is one prize I can't have._ He rubbed his neck as he tried to lighten the awkward mood. "Instead of gathering our own breakfast why don't we go to this quaint little place that I know." Rapunzel only gave a nod in response and let him lead the way as she followed quietly a few feet behind.


	12. Chapter 12

Dear Readers,

I'm sorry to say that I have lost interest in this story and will, for the time being, be taking a break from it. It will be finished someday just not now. The reason for my loss of interest is because I have fallen in love with the Spider-man story I am working on. It is called Looking Back and I hope you will consider reading it and I update daily. Sorry for the disappointment but it won't be forever.

Love,

Music2myEars -3-


End file.
